Motor car lateral impacts and occupant injuries
by A. Lozzi
International Journal of Vehicle Design (IJVD), Vol. 2, No. 4, 1981

Abstract: Data obtained from in-depth and mass surveys is examined to provide an insight into the characteristics of lateral car impacts in general, and lateral car-to-pole impacts in particular. It is shown that the rate of fatalities per crash is seven times higher in lateral pole impacts than for collisions overall. The probability of injury and fatality is compared for occupants seated on the near side of the impact to those seated on the far side, for a number of different types of lateral impacts. Poles and trees cause the greatest hazard to the far side occupant than any other bullet object that could be differentiated. For the in-depth cases examined, it appeared that only the occupant whose head or torso was centred on pole or tree intrusion died. For these victims as well as for those centred on the intrusion caused by another car in such collisions, the severity of the injury correlated significantly with the magnitude of the intrusion. For all other seated locations no such correlation could be found. In three quarters of the fatalities caused by car-to-pole collision, the fatal injury was only to the head, but in the forty times more numerous car-to-car side impact, three quarters of the deceased had among other fatal injuries, fatal injuries to the thorax and abdomen. Consequently, an extensive protection mechanism has to be devised for side impacts in general. From theoretical studies, it is argued that the occupant centred on the intrusion suffers the most rapid change in velocity and probably strikes the hardest targets. On balance, there is an argument for the reinforcement and improved padding of the side structure of motor cars to reduce the overall risk to which currently car occupants are exposed.

Online publication date: Sun, 25-May-2014

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